In Classification and Determination of Constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the China Association of Chinese Medicine classifies body constitutions of the human body into nine types, including yin-yang harmony constitution, yang deficiency constitution, yin deficiency constitution, qi deficiency constitution, phlegm-dampness constitution, damp-heat constitution, qi depression constitution, blood stasis constitution, and allergic constitution, most of which belong to sub-healthy states.
The qi deficiency constitution means that, when internal organs of the human body are dysfunctional and transformation and generation of qi are insufficient, manifestations of qi deficiency would easily occur, which are usually represented by faint low voice, emaciation of the body or overweight, pale complexion, shortness of breath and unwillingness to speak, lassitude, body fatigue and weakness, spontaneous perspiration which is especially more serious when in movement, pale red tongue with teeth prints and with white tongue coating, and weak pulse, diseases are caused due to various causes, different symptoms are seen due to the difference in qi-deficient parts such as heart, lung, spleen and kidney. The tendency of morbidity is: being susceptible to common cold and visceroptosis, usually having weakened immune systems and having slow recovery from illness. For this, qi tonifying and qi nourishing are taken as the general therapeutic principle, and prescriptions for tonifying viscera are selected on the basis of differentiation of diseases according to pathological changes of the viscera and their interrelations.
The qi deficiency constitution is formed mainly because native endowment is deficient and after long-term eating disorder, emotional disorder, long illness and fatigue, oldness and weakness cause heart, lung, spleen and kidney damages. Since heart governs blood and vessels, lung dominates qi throughout the body, kidney stores vigor, and spleen and stomach are “source of engendering transformation of qi”, the qi deficiency constitution will easily develop symptoms that the effect of promoting blood running is reduced, transformation and generation of qi in the body are insufficient, and the functions of the body in preventing the invasion of exogenous pathogenic factors, protecting the superficies of the body, and maintaining the positions of the internal organs are decreased.
It is mentioned in the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor that “the superior physician prevents illness, the mediocre physician attends to impending illness, and the inferior physician treats actual illness”, wherein the phrase “prevent illness” means taking corresponding measures to prevent the occurrence and development of diseases. The body constitution determines the health of people and susceptibility to diseases. It is believed in the traditional Chinese medicine that since the human beings live in the natural world, physiological functions of the human body usually change with seasons, that is, “correspondence between man and nature”. Winter is the season when the human body “stores energies”, thus appropriate nourishment can enhance the constitution, ward off diseases and strengthen the body, and prolong life, that is, conditioning in winter or nourishing in winter commonly mentioned in the traditional Chinese medicine. For the sub-healthy population with qi deficiency constitution, a solid oral paste with a higher drug concentration and good taste, and being convenient to carry more meets requirements of modern people.